Doyle's Duty
by PLT99
Summary: Doyle hires a seventeen year-old Jane to keep tabs on a target, Maura Isles. While Jane becomes friends with Maura will she find out the truth about Maura's real parents? *Mentions of rape* trigger warning
1. Chapter 1

**I would like to thank my beta Ink-About-It for helping me out.**

**I do not own anything!**

**Prologue**

It was around mid-August at the end of a typically busy day when he got the phone call. With a whiskey glass in one hand and a fresh-lit cigar in the other, he sighed back into his chair and replaced the glass with the receiver as he distractedly answered the ringing device.

"Patrick," she'd started. And with that one word, he immediately recognized Constance Isles, her voice as articulate as ever. But before he had the chance to wonder about her sudden reappearance, she went on. "We're moving back to Boston."

And just like that, Paddy Doyle's life was turned upside down.

The day this woman had boarded a private plane to somewhere in Europe with a small bundle swaddled and securely held in her arms, had played in his mind over and over again every day since. She was terribly fraught with fear for the child's life, taking her new role as her primary caregiver about as seriously as he could have ever hoped, and yet, for every moment of his daughter's life that he missed, his heart broke just a little bit more. But he knew Maura was safe, and that's what mattered most.

Somehow though, a part of him always knew that their return was inevitable. In fact, he had expressed his reluctance to let them out of his sight right off the bat, promising to protect little Maura from his enemies at all costs, but Constance couldn't – wouldn't – take that chance in case he failed. And now he had no choice but to succeed.

In the time since their migration, though, the situation had gone under drastic change. After well over a decade Maura is certainly no longer an oblivious child and he and his daughter had no interpersonal relationship to speak of. She would notice him stalking her. Paddy knew the only way to protect her around the clock as best he could was to employ someone else he could trust with his daughter's life; a pretty tall order for a man who trusted practically no one.

Irish luck, however, proved to be on his side one evening when one of his few good friends mentioned a brave Italian girl who had roughed up one of his ham-fisted minions for looking at her the wrong way. Something clicked in Paddy's head. He immediately sent his best man to go see about this girl, reminding him to bring his weapon unless he also wanted to be the subject of another embarrassing pub story.

It was getting late that summer evening on Jane's way home from work. It had been another long day under the micro-management of her annoying boss at a job that paid peanuts for her to practically perform miracles, so she really wasn't in the mood for the creeper she'd noticed following her for the past several blocks. Agitated, she suddenly turned on him, "Who the hell are you and why are you following me?"

Stopping in his tracks, the man held his hands up in mock surrender, although his cocky grin gave him away. She really wanted to smack that smug smile off of his smarmy face, "Oh, was I following you? I hadn't noticed."

"What do you want, asshole?" He looked more impressed than offended, which annoyed her even more.

"You must be Jane," the man stated.

She eyed him with caution, wondering how he knew her name. "Depends… who wants to know?" There was an unsettling air about him. He was a tough guy, taller than her and clearly stronger. She didn't like him at all.

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Paddy Doyle, that's who."

To say the name sounded familiar would be like saying that she was vaguely aware she was human. And that wasn't the kind of name people just dropped if they knew what was good for them. Jane took a step back to properly take this man in, and lo and behold, he clearly had a gun stuck in the waistband of his pants.

Following her line of vision, "Relax," he said. "The boss just wants to talk."

"And he ain't askin' either, is he?"

The armed man replied with a simple. "No."

Sighing, Jane accepted that the odds of her getting out of this were not in her favor if she didn't cooperate, so she nodded her reluctant consent. "Okay, take me to him."

She followed him to the car, not even bothering to laugh at a stupid joke he makes about something stupid. Paddy Doyle, who is notorious for being a man of action, wanted to _talk_ to her – so this guy would have to forgive her for losing all sense of humor for a moment.

The entire drive was only about ten minutes long, but the young woman's thoughts were a jumbled mess trying to figure out why the head of the Irish mob wanted to talk to little old _her_. Paddy Doyle was the lesser of two evils though, as Jane remembered the stories she'd heard about his father, Patrick Senior.

The car came to a stop outside a well-known Irish pub before Jane was escorted inside. They maneuvered through the maze of people and tables and then into a room right at the back where she was told to take a seat as her escort stood guard by the door.

After about an hour of talking her own body into calming down enough to think, the door suddenly opened, startling her, and there stood the one and only Paddy Doyle. He instructed his man to wait outside, then he had a seat across from her before ever even looking at her.

"Hello Jane." She gulped. Paddy Doyle knew her name. "I'm quite sorry for all of this, but I have a feeling you might be the only person that can help me, if you're willing?"

Willing? She had a choice? "What, uh… what exactly is this all about?" Jane asked.

"Well, it's kind of a personal matter that requires your… unique skills. And which I trust you will handle with the utmost discretion. And, of course, I will pay you a great sum of money for your cooperation."

Pondering his ambiguous offer, Jane's mind went straight to her family who could definitely use a great sum of money, and if it wasn't for that tiny but huge detail, she may have declined his offer right there and then. But instead, she leaned over the table, eyes locked onto his, and asked the million-dollar question. "Okay, what do you need me to do?"

Paddy smiled. "I have an old friend who has asked me to keep tabs on a... target, you might say. She needs to be monitored-"

"She?"

Paddy paused, not used to being interrupted. Slowly he said, "Yes... Will that be a problem?"

Jane knew there was only one right answer. "No, go on."

"All you have to do is attend her high school and become her friend."

Jane lifted her eyebrows at the words 'high school', but said nothing about it as Doyle handed her an envelope.

"Within this envelope you will find a picture along with all the relevant details about your assignment, as well as a burner phone which you will use to regularly update me on anything suspicious. Understood?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"Do not let me down, Jane… Your life depends on it."

The ominous silence was even louder than the ruckus of the pub outside that door. Jane knew a threat when she heard one, but her only way out was to follow through.

"I know…"

And with that, Paddy Doyle stood and walked out of the room, leaving the girl pondering her own sanity.

The creepy escort came back in wearing that same seedy smirk he's been sporting since she met him. "So, _Jane_… we on the same team now?"

"Just shut up and take me home," she said standing up, annoyed. "It's a school night."

**Chapter 1**

Jane inhaled and exhaled a few deep breaths as she paused outside the doors of her new school. Dressed in the standard uniform consisting of a plaid skirt and a matching sweater, she hated this place already. But after meeting mob boss Paddy Doyle, where he proceeded to literally give her an offer she could not refuse – paid tuition on top of paying Jane to babysit a 'target' – there was definitely no looking back.

The envelope Paddy gave Jane had a name, a photograph, and the target's school schedule, which she was also put on in order to keep an eye on her.

She'd spent the night before studying the stranger's photograph until she could picture her shimmering honey-blonde hair, beautiful hazel green eyes and her dimpled smile and even map out every freckle on her face. And so, when walking down the halls of Boston Girls' High, it didn't take Jane long to spot her.

About six lockers away, there stood Maura Dorothea Isles of Beacon Hill, daughter of artist Constance Isles, who takes every single mind-numbing class offered in this school, head down as she carefully placed some books into her bag. Blissfully unaware that someone was watching her very closely.

Jane kept her distance, continuing to silently observe her. She knew that their first class was English and so discreetly followed Maura there, but only slipped in once the class was almost full. She wasn't surprised to find Maura seated right at the front of the room with a book already open on her desk before her, seemingly lost in her own world. Jane was lucky to find the seat right next to her free and smoothly took it before digging around her backpack pretending to act normal.

Finally taking note of the presence of human life around her, Maura glanced up at Jane, looking very confused. Even more so when Jane smiled and held a hand out for Maura to shake.

"Hi, I'm Jane," she said, "I'm new here."

Maura almost immediately took Jane's proffered hand, her body's polite instincts taking over before her bewildered brain could catch up. "I'm Maura Isles. It's nice to meet you, Jane," she replied. Her answering smile didn't reach her eyes though, but Jane took that to mean she must be shy as she went back to reading her book until the teacher implored their attention.

Keeping an eye on someone at school, Jane learned, is a tricky thing to do when you're supposed to be pretending to care about the lesson. She hadn't thought about that before she sat down right next to her charge at the head of the classroom, but there wasn't much to monitor during the first lesson of the day, and thus, nothing to report.

When the bell rang to switch classes, Jane turned to Maura to ask where the Biology class was, but the girl had already disappeared. With an annoyed sigh – annoyed at herself for dropping the ball – Jane got up and quickly made her way out. Entering the next class, she realised all the girls were seated in pairs – all except for Maura. _Lucky me_, she thought, not even giving a second thought to why this girl always sat alone. Instead she walked right up to her and took the empty seat beside Maura asking, "Do you have a lab partner?"

Maura didn't look up at when she quietly replied "No."

"Well," Jane gleefully retorted, "now you do."

She was rewarded with a brief smile.

The second thing Jane learned that day is that Maura is ridiculously smart and amazing at Biology. She had a hunch when she took a look at the schedule they gave her, but as she watched Maura wield her scalpel like a Pro, naming all the different parts and functions of the frog as she removed them for Jane to record on their lab sheet, the brunette was blown away. Unfortunately, every time she tried to make small talk, the blonde politely ended the conversations before Jane could learn anything else about her.

Befriending her target was proving harder than Jane had anticipated. But it was only the first half of the first day. She reeled herself in, allowing Maura the time to warm up to her naturally.

During lunch, Jane sat by herself. She found a spot where she could covertly observe Maura, who was picking her way through a kale salad three tables ahead of her, also sitting by herself. At this point, Jane recognized the pattern of separation, she just wasn't sure whether or not it was by choice. Then she caught her first glimpse of interaction between Maura and another student.

Maura had actually gotten up to dispose of her trash in the garbage when she heard a familiar voice behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Sit, Maura. _Please?_ We have so much to talk about, don't we?"

Looking around the cafeteria as if she was resigning herself to her fate, Maura reluctantly obeyed and sat back down. Jane watched on as the two girls interacted with each other and from her point of view, Maura seemed tense and nervous. Something was definitely going on, and Jane became curious as to what it was.

The other girl sat beside Maura and started to speak directly into her ear. Quietly enough for Jane not to catch her voice, yet with enough overemphasis for her lips to be read as she hissed into Maura's ear, "Garret told me all about your little 'hook-up'. He told me how you seduced him and how you **forced** yourself on him."

"What? Carmen-"

"Shut up," she was swiftly interrupted.

Maura looked on the verge of tears, not wanting to cause a scene as she listened to these lies. She tried her best to keep her face a stony cold mask revealing nothing. "Just listen, skank. You dare go anywhere near my boyfriend again, and I'll tell everyone exactly what you did to him! Everyone, you hear me?"

Maura finally looked at her. A part of her felt sorry for Carmen and her hopeless gullibility whenever Garret was involved, but a bigger part felt like crying for letting this happen.

Once Jane saw Maura's tense demeanor shift to anger, she was on her feet before she knew it, walking fast towards Maura's table to interrupt the little spat before it could escalate.

"Hey, Maura?" Jane started casually as she sat down across from them. "Do you mind if I copy your notes from Bio? I'm sure your stuff's already in your locker, but I just remembered I only got half of them written down. D'you mind?"

"Of course not," was the instant answer, the teenage girl already getting on her feet. "Carmen, would you excuse us please?"

Jane knew she had done the right thing the moment Maura grabbed her elbow and dragged her out of the cafeteria. Once they were at Maura's locker, she finally let go in order to open it. Jane placed a hand on her arm to get her attention. Maura flinched but took a deep, calming breath.

"Maura, are you okay?"

The blonde only nodded.

"Who was that girl you were sitting with?"

Glancing up for a brief moment, she stuttered, "Uh, you mean Carmen?"

Jane just nodded for Maura to continue.

"I'm neighbors with her boyfriend, Garret…" Maura explained quickly before handing Jane her notes.

"Thanks."

Just as she was about to ask more questions, the end-of-lunch bell suddenly rang and Maura was out of sight. The day just got weird.

P.E. was next on the agenda so Jane quickly made her way to the change rooms. She tried to be quick in stripping and changing when she noticed a few other girls staring at her well-developed abdomen, but she kept to herself. It didn't really feel necessary for her to make friends with anyone else while she was there. While pondering that thought, Maura finally walked in about five seconds behind Carmen.

Luckily, there was no trouble during the session. The class played dodge ball and although Jane's team won, she didn't see it as much of an accomplishment since the girls weren't taking it so seriously. She noticed Maura have a little fun though, and it helped that they were on the same side.

Back in the change room, Jane caught Maura eyeing her torso more than once. She thought about teasing Maura about it, but let the blushing girl be, quickly pulling her shirt down and fixing her hair as best as she could while she waited for the other girl to finish up.

Unaware Jane was waiting on her, Maura finished changing and left. Jogging up to her from behind, Jane tapped her shoulder, startling her. "Jane! You scared me."

Genuinely contrite about scaring the jumpy blonde, Jane said, "Sorry, Maura. I didn't mean to spook you."

Getting her breathing under control and shaking her head at herself for being so skittish, Maura quietly accepted the apology by continuing along the hallway with Jane beside her. After a few moments of walking, Jane decided to break the silence.

"So, uh… What's your next class?" she asked.

"History. What's yours?"

Jane smiled. "History."

Maura pretended to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear to hide her own smile.

Once again seated next to each other, Jane noticed a very loud Carmen a few rows behind them, gossiping about Maura. She also noticed Maura's lack of reaction to it all and nudged her. "Hey."

"Yes, Jane?"

"I don't mean to pry, but how come you let that girl walk all over you like that?"

Maura glanced over her shoulder and gave her reply in a resigned tone. "In case you hadn't noticed, I don't exactly have anyone in my corner. And besides, there's no one to impress so I don't care what they think. Not that they would listen to what I have to say anyway."

Jane lowered her voice to just above a whisper and said, "I would."

Maura pretended not to hear her. They barely knew each other and she knew that by the end of the week, Jane would be hanging out with the jocks and will have forgotten about her. It was inevitable.

After being assigned a class a project and the History teacher pairing them off, Maura and Jane once again found themselves on the same team. They decided to start work on it the next day at Maura's house before the bell rang and Maura hurried out of the room. Jane collected her homework and books from her locker and walked a block to the nearest bus stop. It was about a twenty minute bus ride home from her new school, which wasn't too bad.

Concentrating on anything but her target was impossible, though. All Jane could think about was why Doyle would want this shy, lonely girl to be watched. There was no way she was a threat to anyone. Once she arrived home, Jane went up to her room and took out the burn phone. Paddy picked up on the second ring.

"Well?" he said.

"Uh… Hi, it's Jane."

"I know. How did everything go?"

"I have established a friendship with the target, as requested."

"Good. And, if you don't mind, you can call her by her name."

"Right… If I may ask-"

Paddy laughed "Relax Rizzoli, I'm not having you keep tabs on her just so I can just kill her later. No, I need you to keep her safe and out of trouble, like a body guard. Can you do that for me Jay?"

"Of course, Sir. I will do my best to keep the tar- I mean to keep _Maura_ safe."

"Goodnight, Jane. Stay safe."

There was a click and the line went dead.

Jane sighed wondering why an Irish crime boss would want to protect a teenage girl from Beacon Hill. Something wasn't adding up… unlike the mountain of homework she had. She sighed and got started on it.

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who read it, **

**please review! I love the feedback /comments/questions/criticism.**

**Thank you! **

**-JP**


	2. Chapter 2

** I would like to thank my beta Ink-About-It for helping me out with this. **

** I do not own anything!**

**Chapter 2**

Maura was nervous. At no point in time throughout her childhood and adolescence had she ever had a friend come over to her house. The fact that she'd been in boarding school up until six months ago certainly contributed to the reason why, but she never was that great at forming lasting friendships. She wasn't even sure she qualified as Jane's friend just yet, but the tall brunette girl had been oddly nice to her thus far so it was either an elaborate prank, or the beginnings of companionship.

Jane was also feeling a little nervous. She wasn't quite sure why, but this was also a bit of a first for her. She'd never really hung out with girls before, always preferring the rowdy company of boys over playing dress-up with the same sex. How was this supposed to work? On top of that, Maura's family was ridiculously wealthy. The richest person she knew was now Paddy Doyle, and she certainly has never been to his house.

At the sound of the after-school bell the next day, the girls were eager to grab their things from their respective lockers and head to Maura's house. Jane's first taste of the night-and-day contrast between their lifestyles came when, while making idle small talk on their way out of the school, a black town car pulled up out front. And of course Maura went straight for it.

Jane held back any comments of astonishment as they got in the back seat, not wanting to sound ignorant or whatever, but her shock could not be held back once they pulled into the Isles residence.

"Wow. Maura, how many people live here?"

Maura smiled, amused by Jane's childlike awe. "It's just my mother and I. Oh, and George the butler. Let's go inside."

"Don't leave me behind. I could get lost in there."

Maura quietly laughed.

After the two-cent tour, they got settled in Maura's bedroom which was about three times the size of Jane's own. After about a minute of disbelief though, Jane realized she was only embarrassing the poor rich girl, so she reeled herself in so they could begin work on their project. It didn't take long to finish though. About an hour later they were rounding off when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Maura called out.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had company. Who is your friend, dear?" asked Maura's mother, smiling at her daughter and her new companion.

At the sound of the word 'friend', Maura blushed but didn't correct her. She got up to formally introduce them. "Mother, this is Jane Rizzoli. She's a new student at our school. And Jane, this is my mother Constance Isles."

Having also gotten up, Jane politely offered her hand to Constance for a hand shake. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Isles."

"I'm afraid it's just _Miss_. And please, call me Constance."

"Uh… okay. I'll try."

"Jane, where do you live?" Maura asked out of the blue.

"Um, about thirty minutes from here," was her vague answer, caught a bit off-guard. "Why?"

Maura glanced at her wrist watch. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Jane glanced at the time too and realized she should probably get going soon but the hope was fully evident on the honey-blonde's face. It was best for the assignment if she took this opportunity to spend more time with the girl. Plus who was she to say no to such an adorable puppy-face? She accepted.

"Sure, but only if it's okay with your Mom."

"Of course, dear. We'd love to have you. Now, dinner's ready so why don't you girls wash up and meet me downstairs."

Jane knew she had made the right decision when Maura excitedly pulled her into the washroom.

Dinner was… _different_ than what she was expecting. It was a four course meal shared between just them three. There wasn't much chit-chat, but the odd question here and there about Jane's life. Nothing embarrassing though, which was unlike what Jane was used to. She also spotted Maura stealing glances at her every now and then with a look of almost disbelief, like if she turned away too long Jane would disappear and have only been an hallucination. Jane just smiled back at her.

Once they had finished eating, the Italian insisted she had to go home and Maura insisted on getting her home safely which led to them sitting side-by-side in the back seat of the town car as the driver navigated them through the streets of Boston.

"So, uh… Thanks for dinner and for the ride home," Jane said shyly, but Maura waved her off.

"Nonsense. You were our guest. It's the least I could do to make sure you arrived home safely."

A comfortable silence fell over them for a few blocks. Maura was trying to find the words to convey her gratitude for Jane's friendship and how much it meant to her, but before she could, Jane beat her to it.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you, Maur."

Maura's cheeks colored a light pink at the sentiment; it had only taken Jane two days to give her a nickname.

"Me too… _Jay_," she replied, trying the nickname on for size. It fit just right.

Once they'd pulled up to her humble house, Jane said a quick thanks before bolting up to the front door. She paused and watched the car drive off before going inside where she was immediately greeted by the dreaded screech of her mother.

"Janie! Where the hell have you been?"

The teenager saw the martini glass on the kitchen table and sighed. "Ma, I called and told you I was having dinner at a friend's. Remember?"

Not all that invested in the conversation anyway as she grumbled then downed the last of her martini, Angela slumped into a chair and started to mix herself another drink. Her daughter left her to sulk in her drunken state and went to check on her younger brothers. Jane found Frankie in his bedroom doing his homework while Tommy, the youngest, was out with his friends yet again. Back to life; back to reality.

When Jane was hurrying up to her front door, Maura was watching; scrutinizing the run down two-story building whose paint job was peeling off the sides along with the dusty windows. The neighborhood wasn't all that friendly-looking in general and for a long moment she wondered what it might be like to be Jane. There was obviously a very big difference between their homes and now Maura understood Jane's reaction to her house on a deeper level. She wanted to know everything about Jane. She wanted to know if Jane had a distant family or a close-knit one. She wondered if Jane still felt unconditionally loved even though they didn't seem to have a lot materially. Because sometimes… _most_ times, Maura didn't. In fact, the first time she could remember feeling even remotely interesting to anyone was when she met this tall Italian girl with kind brown eyes and an easy smile.

Maura was weaned off of her musings when the car stopped. Getting out with her mind somewhere else, she almost didn't notice a familiar figure standing on the front porch about to knock on the front door. A chill went up and down her spine.

He slowly turned around to face her and she almost flinched at the sight of his permanent self-satisfied smirk. "Maura, how are you?" he asked in a cheerful tone.

Studying his tousled light-brown hair and symmetrical features, she suppressed the urge to slap him. Or cry. "I was doing great until you showed up. Garrett, I thought I made myself very clear when I asked you stay away from me and my home."

Leaving him no time to respond, she turned on him and walked inside. Her mother suddenly appeared from the living room to find her daughter trying to calm her breathing. "Maura, who was at the door?"

Trying to keep her voice light, she said, "Oh. Just the neighbor, mother. Nothing, uh… nothing important. I have homework..." Then she went straight up to her bedroom and locked the door.

That night, Maura curled up tightly under her warm blankets, processing everything going on in her life. She fell asleep with tear-stained cheeks and a heavy heart.

Jane woke up to the startling screech of her alarm clock. Another day, another dollar. Sighing while rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she shut the thing off and rolled out of bed, had a shower, got dressed in her school uniform, grabbed a quick bite to eat and walked to the bus stop.

It had been three weeks since she started working for Doyle. It was, by far, the easiest and most satisfying job she'd ever had. She and Maura became fast friends and it wasn't even like she had to fake it. The girl had her quirks but she was super-smart and sweet and funny without even knowing it. They had a standing lunch date and occasionally chatted or texted over the phone. It was nice.

The money was good too.

That Friday Jane had been invited over to Maura's house for a movie night and Jane was more than glad to accept. She knew her Ma probably wouldn't even notice her absence, so she prepared herself an overnight bag just in case.

Casually leaning against Jane's locker as she watched the other students travelling in their little cliques talking about the latest TV shows or hot new boy bands and rappers, Maura felt an odd feeling. She wasn't the type to gossip or discuss pop culture and she much preferred classical music and jazz over whatever was topping the charts, but what if Jane _did_ like pop music and watching the latest reality TV shows? But then she realized that none of it had mattered thus far. Jane didn't like science as much as she did, yet she still entertained Maura's random facts. So that's what she would have to do too; celebrate or at least tolerate the things that made them different in order to strengthen their friendship.

Wild raven hair suddenly appeared and Maura smiled to herself. She really was lucky to have a friend like Jane.

"What? Is there toothpaste on my face?" Jane asked with a hesitant smirk.

Maura's smile widened "No, I was just wondering what kind of music you listened to."

"Well," Jane started as she opened her locker. "I like rock… and metal… but I also like R&B and _some_ classical music," she said as she rummaged around in her locker looking for a textbook.

"Jane Rizzoli: a fan of classical? Wow, I must be dreaming," Maura joked.

"Oh no, you're wide awake. In fact, I used to take piano lessons when I was younger. Some of the songs stuck with me." Maura saw a nostalgic smile appear on Jane's face as she stated, "I find them calming."

Maura smiled. "Me too"

Maura liked how observing Jane's facial expressions always gave away what she might be thinking, but Jane hardly ever volunteered much information about herself without prompting so she was ecstatic.

The bell rang and they made their way to their first class chatting about which movies they were going to watch. The first half of the day had gone great. They had just finished P.E. and were on their way to History, the last block of the day, but when Maura saw Carmen waiting by her locker she knew she would have to deal with her.

Sighing, she knew this would put a bit of a damper on their day. "Hi, Carmen. Do you mind? I need to get to my locker," Maura said trying to be polite, but one look at the other girl's face told her the pleasantries were in vain.

"I thought I told you to stay away from him, you bitch!" Carmen spat.

Maura looked confused. "I did. I haven't even seen him in weeks. What are you talking about?" she said quietly.

Carmen took a step closer. "I know you're lying, you little slut. You stole my boyfriend, and now I'm going to make sure you regret every second you spent with him!"

Finally, Jane stepped in and pulled Carmen away from her friend. "Ay! Relax. Whatever you're fighting about ain't worth a bloody nose, so just back off."

Carmen scoffed. "Pff! I'm not afraid of her."

Jane looked her dead in the eye and said, "I wasn't talking about _her_."

Quickly escorting her rattled friend away from that bully, Jane turned to her once they were out of earshot. "Are you alright, Maur? She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"N-no, I… Jane, I'm fine." Maura inhaled deeply as Jane scrutinized her, obviously not believing she was alright.

"Fine. But we'll talk about what the hell just happened after school, okay?"

Maura slowly nodded.

Jane waited for Maura to fully calm down before they went up to class. Jane asked the teacher aside and quietly cited a 'female emergency' to their male History teacher in order to have their tardiness quickly excused, counting on him being not too keen on hearing the details.

By then, Maura's day had already been dampened. Nothing could pull her out of her brooding mood; not classes and not even Jane. The final school bell could not have come at a better time. The girls wordlessly got their things and headed for the town car. The drive to the Isles home was very quiet and Jane wondered what Maura could possibly have done to piss off Carmen that much. Beside her, Maura was mentally rehearsing how she was going to tell Jane everything – starting with Garrett.

Upon reaching Maura's bedroom, Jane noticed the usually clean room had a pile of clothes near the closet and an empty box of tissues on her bedside table. Jane sat on Maura's bed and patted the spot beside her. "Come here, please?"

Maura hesitated at the door, shutting it and leaning back against it to steel herself.

"Look," said Jane, her voice a soft, soothing tone. "I know you like to keep everything bottled up inside and just hope it blows over… but you don't have to do that anymore. I'm your friend," Maura looked up at her. "I'm here for you, Maur. You can tell me what's wrong."

Maura walked over and sat next to her with a shaky sigh. When tears made an immediate appearance, she shook her head as her mind flashed with memories she had been trying for weeks to suppress.

Jane rubbed her hand up and down her back to impart some comfort. "It's okay. Take your time. I ain't going nowhere."

When Maura didn't even take that opportunity to correct her use of grammar she knew this, whatever it was, ran deep. Maura had remained silent for a long time when Jane spoke again. "Maura, no matter what you say, I will be here, okay? I'm on _your_ side. You can trust me."

Maura looked up at Jane with a mixture of hope and despair as tears continued streaming down her face. She swallowed hard. "I-I think I was raped..."

Maura's eyes instantly dropped to the floor and Jane felt her heart shatter as she wrapped her arms around the honey-blonde in a tight embrace. "Who was it? Who did that to you?" Jane asked into Maura's hair as she still held her in her arms.

"Garrett..." she whispered, clinging to Jane like her life depended on it. She was shaking with sobs. "I uh… About a week before you and I met, I was a-at a party he invited me to, and… and he k-kept getting me drinks… I shouldn't have drank so much..." she sniffled, chastising herself for her stupidity. "I remember him… I remember him taking me up to his room and it was dark and we were alone and… I tried to tell him to stop, but he didn't… A-and after he was finished I just passed out."

"Jesus," Jane cursed into silky soft hair, holding her even tighter. She could only imagine how scared Maura must have been. No wonder she was always so jumpy. "What about Carmen? How is she involved?" Jane asked softly.

"He told her that-" Maura paused to wipe away her tears, "-that I forced myself on him. So she thinks I stole him from her… I hate him; I don't want him anywhere near me."

"Maura you should go to the police," Jane said quietly.

Maura stayed quiet for a moment, trying to steady her speech as she looked up into concerned chocolate browns orbs. "I'm… so scared, Jane." She shook her head, shutting her eyes. "I don't think I can do it." Maura sounded so small and fragile.

Jane lifted Maura's chin so their eyes met. "Maura, no matter what happens, I will **never** let him or anyone touch you like that again. You hear? I promise. And none of this is your fault." Jane said it with such fierceness that all Maura could do was hug her tightly.

"Thank you, Jane" Maura whispered into her ear. She was eternally grateful to have found a friend in Jane Rizzoli.

Once Maura had assured Jane that she would be fine by herself while Jane went to the washroom, she grabbed the phone Doyle had given her and locked the washroom door behind her.

The line rang only twice before the mobster answered. "Jane," he greeted.

"Yeah, uh…" she wasn't sure where to start. She paced around the bathroom, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time, but this is important," she spoke in a hushed tone.

"Is it Maura? What's happened?" Doyle sounded concerned.

Jane stopped pacing and held the phone against her chest as she briefly shut her eyes. This was not something she expected to encounter on the job, and it was tearing her apart. Jane held the phone back against her ear. "About a few weeks ago, Maur- She… she was assaulted… Sexually."

Jane flinched at the sound of glass shattering on the other line. Doyle sounded livid as he slowly growled," Give me a name."

She didn't even hesitate to blow the whistle on her friend's abuser. He deserved whatever was coming his way. "Garrett Fairfield."

Then there was a quiet knock on the bathroom door. "Jane? Are you alright in there?" Maura asked through the door.

"I gotta go. Bye, Ma." Jane quickly hung up. "I'll be out in a minute," Jane called out before flushing the toilet and washing her hands to keep up the charade. When she unlocked the door she came face to face with Maura.

"Who were you talking to?" Maura asked.

"My Ma called while I was in there," Jane lied.

"Oh, okay…"

Jane put her hand on Maura's arm and easily went in for another hug. She hoped it comforted Maura as much as she wanted it to. When Maura hugged her back just as tightly, she knew she got the message.

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Come with me tomorrow?"

"Where to?"

"The police station. I've decided to file charges."

Jane pulled away to make eye contact. She smiled. "You're the bravest girl I know," she said, earning a blushing smile back. "Of course I'll go with you. I'll be by your side every step of the way, so just try to get rid of me."

"I wouldn't dare."

**A/N**

**Hi.. thanks for reading **

**this is my first fanfic and I'm still learning how to post stuff on here.**

**also please if you have any comments/ suggestions/ criticism leave a review **

**I will try to post once a week.**

**thanks again for reading xx**

**-JP**


	3. Chapter 3

** A/N: I would like to thank my beta Ink-About-It for helping me out.**

**I do not own anything... **

**Chapter 3**

It was getting late that night. Not too late for anyone else to be awake, but Maura still had a moment's hesitation before giving a soft knock on her mother's bedroom door. Constance, who managed to look both beautiful and regal even in her pajamas, assessed her daughter with a hint of surprise as she entered the room.

"Maura darling, I thought you were watching a movie with Jane…" she said, but as the girl approached, she noticed the redness around her eyes. "Have you been crying?"

There was no need for Maura to confirm what was blatantly obvious, so she kept quiet. She was too busy bracing herself. Confiding in Jane about what happened to her, as hard as it was in the beginning, was one thing. Telling her mother, though, was another beast of its own – but it had to be done. Now that she had decided to involve the police, it was inevitable that Constance would find out, so it was better for her to hear it from Maura herself.

With a final deep breath, Maura spilled her heart out to her mother. She couldn't bring herself to meet her eyes, unsure what sort of reaction this confession would garner, but she powered through the self-doubt, fear and general hurt from the reality of her situation. Once she was done recounting what the terrible events that had occurred, Maura wiped away a single tear that had started to run down her cheek. She was all cried out by now.

Her light sniffles seemed to echo beyond her own mind. The answering silence confused her at first, but that was until her mother eventually spoke. "Are you going to file charges against him?"

Maura nodded. "Tomorrow," she said. It felt strange to her, but overly familiar as well – this passive reaction. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but secretly she had hoped for a response much like Jane's instead of the faint scowl on the older woman's face.

Constance's frown deepened at her daughter's answer, but she quickly schooled her features back to stone. She sighed. "Maura, the Fairfields…"

Maura felt suspended in mid-air, ready to drop any second as Constance paused to gather her thoughts. She knew that whatever was coming wouldn't be an ideal response the moment her mother started her reply with a mention of their neighbors and not her daughter, the victim. She wasn't wrong.

"Garrett's parents are very well-connected politicians. They practically run this city. Now, I'm not saying that what happened to you isn't terrible, but in all honestly, I don't believe going to trial against their son would end very well for either of us – even if you win. We couldn't possibly outrun their wrath – they live right next door to us."

"So you'd prefer I keep quiet and continue to live right next door to my rapist?" The utter disbelief and shock was evident in the girl's voice.

"That's not what I'm say-"

"Then what exactly are you saying, mother? Are you saying that it's not worth the trouble because I will lose the trial anyway, or that you're afraid for your own reputation because you're ashamed of what happened to me? Because to me, it sounds a lot like the latter."

Maura was furious. It had taken all of her courage to come here and share all of this with her mother, only to have it thrown back in her face like this. She'd always known that Constance cared a great deal about how other people saw her and her family, but Maura could not believe what she was hearing.

"I'm trying to do what is best for your future. Things like this follow you for the rest of your life," Constance argued weakly. "Just think about what you're about to do… There's no turning back from this."

Maura scoffed at her, head shaking. "There was no turning back the moment Garrett Fairfield went on to rape me after I told him no. **That** was the point of no return! _He_ did something wrong. _He_ broke the law. He took my virginity! He broke me, mother… And I'm supposed to just keep quiet about it?"

Constance clearly had no idea what to say to that. There were no words.

"Look, if you won't support me on this, that's fine. I'm used to doing things on my own anyway. But if you think for one second that I will let people walk all over me anymore, you're mistaken. I have a real friend now."

She turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

Maura burst through the door gasping. The sullen look on her face had Jane quickly rising to her feet to meet her halfway into the room. The bedroom slammed shut just as Maura fell into her arms.

"Maura? What the hell happened?" Jane asked as she held her friend. She'd heard some shouting

"She- sh-she..." Maura stuttered.

Jane just sighed and patted her back, gathering what may have happened. "She didn't take it as well as you'd hoped, did she?" she asked softly, a frown creasing her features.

"My mother seems to care more about our family's reputation than the well-being of her only daughter." She was no longer crying tears, but her body was shaking with anger. She held onto to Jane's tall, lean frame a little tighter, trying to absorb her comfort as the Italian rubbed slow circles on her back. It was a strange and wonderful feeling; one which she knows, just a few weeks ago, she would have immediately flinched away from. Now she knew what she'd been missing.

Jane wasn't sure what to say. So she said nothing. They stayed that way for a few minutes, neither wanting to be the one to let go. But eventually, Maura slid her arms slowly away from Jane, who took the hint, and slowly they came apart.

"It'll be okay," said Jane. "I'll make sure of it."

Maura shook her head in disbelief. It was unbelievable to her that her first friend could be so amazing. "How can you promise that?"

"Do you trust me?"

"I…" Maura hesitated. Was it too soon for this line of conversation, she wondered. But tilting her head up to meet the fierce brown eyes of the girl before her, she knew it was true all along. "Yes, I do trust you, Jane."

Jane's eyes immediately softened, and her mouth melted into a smile. "Good."

"And I'm still pressing charges tomorrow, no matter what my mother's opinion on the topic is."

"Alright. I'm still going with you."

"Thank you. I really…"

"No thanks needed, Maur. This is what friends are for."

"I'm starting to realize that."

Maura silently made her way over to the bed, kicking her shoes off and getting comfortable as Jane went in the other direction.

"_Now_," started Jane, "it's time for the million-dollar question, Maura Isles."

"What might that be?"

"Action… or a Sci-Fi?" Jane said while looking over Maura's impressive collection of movies and picking out a few she wanted to watch, before laying them out for Maura to make a final decision.

Maura tapped her index finger against her lips as she studied the selection. Then she quickly pointed to one, grinning at Jane's raised eyebrows.

"And the winner is ... Star Trek. Who woulda guessed; Maura Isles a Trekkie!" Jane teased, lightening the mood as she put the movie on.

"Oh, trust me, Jane Rizzoli; you'll be converted as soon as you watch it."

Jane chuckled as she also got comfortable. "Challenge accepted."

Maura woke up to the soft light of morning shining against her closed eyelids, the taste and smell of popcorn in the air, and the blissful warmth of the body lying next to her. _Jane_. She smiled to herself. Quite content to bask in the incredible moment as well as reliving the images from the previous night's happy ending, she sighed. Then there was movement to her left.

Jane felt her senses slowly awakening, her face buried in a pillow that smelled like fresh flowers and sweet raspberries; it smelled like Maura. Then she felt the warmth and softness of the body beside her, tensing for only a moment before she realized where she must be. Jane slowly stretched, starting by unfolding her legs, and then she pointed her toes and wiggled them as she relaxed into the bed. She couldn't help but groan at how good it felt, unused joints clicking, but after a few moments of silence, she heard a quiet giggle from her right which quickly ended in a fit of muffled laughter.

The brunette turned her head and came face to face with… more of her own hair.

"Jane, you look like a lazy cat stretching your legs like you just did," said the honey-blonde through her glee.

Smiling, Jane peaked through the mass of curls to reveal her chocolate brown eyes twinkling with amusement as she looked up at Maura, her sleep-tousled hair making her look even younger. Jane felt the urge to touch Maura's hair because it looked so soft, like the finest kind of silk ever made.

She watched as Maura's face fell and instead a solemn expression graced her lips. "We should get ready to go to the station soon..." Maura said as she sighed and pulled herself upright.

Jane did the same.

They got dressed in a comfortable silence and got ready to leave, stopping by the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. The smell of coffee filled their noses as they approached the room. Maura found Constance pouring herself a cup of coffee with her back turned to them. Maura turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen, Jane following in confusion.

"What the- _Maur_, you said we were going to get breakfast," Jane almost whined.

"We'll get something on the way," Maura simply replied, but when Jane continued to pout she added, "Think you can wait that long, or should I worry about you becoming a cannibal?"

"Was… was that a- Did you just make a joke? I think I'm rubbing off on you," Jane teased.

Maura smiled, looking quite proud of herself as they got in the car. And true to her word, the girls grabbed a quick bite at the police station's cafe before going upstairs to speak with a Detective Korsak from SVU.

Korsak explained the procedure to both of them, then asked Maura aside for her statement while Jane waited outside in the hallway. It didn't take as long as it felt for Jane, but she was going out of her mind worrying and wondering if Maura was being taken care of in there or if she was in need of some moral support. She also kept eyeing the phone Doyle gave her, hesitating to call him as something weighed persistently at the back of her mind.

When her friend finally did come out, she repeatedly assured her that she was okay. Jane was hard to convince but eventually got the message. They reluctantly parted ways outside the station – Jane had errands, and Maura had homework – but not before one final hug and a mutual "Call you later."

Once home, Jane finally rang Paddy Doyle up. He had a lot of explaining to do.

He answered on the first ring. "Jane."

"Yeah, it's me," Jane said briskly.

"Do you have something to report, or were you looking to catch up?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Cut the crap, Doyle. I wanna know why you care about Maura so much."

She heard Doyle chuckle from the other end of the phone. "You know, for as smart as you are, I thought you would have figured it out by now."

"She's your daughter, isn't she?" Jane asked.

There was a half-minute of silence and Jane almost thought he was sending a hit man out to get her, but then he sighed.

"See, I knew I hired you for a reason" Doyle said.

His confirmation still took her by surprise. "But… then why did you hire me? Because it looks to me like she might need a father more than a bodyguard" Jane stated.

"I can't- I can't be her… father. Don't you get it? My enemies will use her to get to me. That's why I hired you; to make sure she was safe."

"Why now? Why when she is already halfway through school? I mean, do you really even know your own daughter? Do you know she's crazy-smart and kind and polite and so, so selfless. She was dealt a bad hand, man. Real bad. Just because she wanted to fit in and thought going to some jackass's party would help that. But it only made it worse. And do you know what her mother said to her when Maura told her about what happened? She said she'd lose the trial anyway, so why bother? Can you believe that? Please tell me why you would not want to be a part of the life of a girl as innocent as Maura? Please explain it to me, because I really don't think I understand."

"Because…" Doyle said after Jane's rant, sounding incredibly sad. "Her mother wanted her to be safe. So they moved to Europe. I had no say in the matter and now that she's back I can't give her a reason to leave again, even if it means just having someone keep her safe."

Sighing, she took a deep breath before speaking again. "I see…" Jane knew that the man had no reason to explain himself to her at all. In fact, she had really crossed the line here, but the fact that he was honest to her really showed her that he must care deeply for his daughter, who is now also her closest friend. They were on the same team all along. "Look, I won't tell Maura, okay? And thanks for telling me..."

She hung up soon after he said, "And thank _you_, Jane."

"I have to go now, bye."

Jane was confused about a few things, still. Deciding she needed to sort out her thoughts in a quiet place, she walked to the library. It was about a twenty minute walk from her house, a very familiar path which she often took when she was younger whenever her parents were arguing, which was most of the time, until her father left them a few years ago. Jane loved the calming quality of the library. Once she got there, she found a quiet section, sat down and closed her eyes. She sat there and thought for a very long time.

After a while, her cell phone brought her out of her thoughts. It was a text from Maura.

'_Hi. Can we meet somewhere? We need to talk. – M'_

**A/N: Hi... thanks for reading! **

**Please if you have comments/ advice / reviews**

**I love hearing what you think! **

**-JP**


	4. Chapter 4

**I would like to thank my beta Ink-About-It, for helping me out. **

**Chapter 4**

Maura stepped into the little coffee shop and was quick to spot a contemplative Jane sitting in a secluded corner with her hands wrapped around a steaming cup. She walked up to the table and took the seat across from her, but the usual smile was absent from Maura's face. She signaled for a waitress over and ordered a cup of tea before Jane, who silently watched, could even get a word out.

"So… what'd ya need to talk about?" Jane asked to break the tense silence.

"The police found Garrett…" Maura stated.

"Good. I'm glad he's finally off the streets."

Watching for any shift in Jane's behaviour as she continued, Maura sighed. "They found his body in an alley stabbed through the chest…"

Jane's body tensed as she heard the news but her face turned into a puzzled frown, "What?"

"…with an ice pick." Maura cleared her throat. "And there was a note attached to his body with the word _Rapist _written on it."

"Oh. I dunno what to say… I'm honestly not too cut up about it."

"Jane you and my mother are the only two people I have told."

"What are you saying?" A tense silence followed as Jane put the pieces together one by one and it dawned on her. "Maura, do you think _I_ did this?"

"I don't know what to think, honestly. Unless you told someone else…" she trailed off, not believing her own words either. She had thought about not bringing it up at all; not at the risk of losing the best friend she's ever had. But at what cost? There was no way she should stay friends with a murderer, not matter how good the intentions. Right?

Jane searched Maura's face for any sign of emotion but it was schooled into a perfect emotionless mask. "Maur? I swear to God I'm not a murderer. How can you even accuse me of something like that? And who would I tell? A hit man? Are you serious?"

Maura looked deep into Jane's pleading eyes and saw what she wanted to see; heard what she wanted to hear. Accepting that Jane was telling the truth, she let out a sigh of relief. "Okay I believe you, I just had to be certain. I'm sorry."

And Jane felt guilty for lying straight to her friend's face. She knew very well that the omission of the truth was just as bad as a false confession, especially in such a direct confrontation, but what else was she supposed to do? "It's okay, I understand."

"But who else could know what he did, and be angry enough to kill him?" Maura pondered, genuinely distressed.

Jane mentally sorted through all the people she knew who might have motive to kill Garrett Fairfield, which were not many if she excluded herself, but after a few minutes she blurted out the only thing that made sense to her.

"Maybe… you were not the only one."

Maura's brows furrowed in confusion, then it dawned on her; had Garrett forced himself on girls before her? After her? "You really think so?"

"I don't know for sure, obviously. But I wouldn't put it past him."

"I suppose it's… possible."

"And Carmen knew about you two. He told her, remember? Granted she thought it was _you_ and not Garrett that did it, but still, didn't they break up over it?" Jane asked, her face expressively thinking very hard. Maura gave a slow nod until she completely understood what Jane was getting at.

The two sat in the coffee shop for a few more hours trying to think up other possible suspects, while Jane would occasionally get lost in her own thoughts.

The ice pick – it had to be Doyle; it's his signature. The note sounded like a warning which made Jane wonder who he would be trying to send that kind of message to. Jane's thoughts were interrupted by Maura waving her hand in front of her face.

"Jane? You with me here?" Maura's eyes held a spark of amusement which made Jane feel even more guilty for lying.

"Hey, Maur. I uh… I gotta go. I need to check on my baby brother. I'll see you at school," Jane said as she pulled on her jacket and turned to leave, and just like that Jane disappeared into the dark streets of Boston.

Maura sighed as she slumped back in her chair, the smile that was on her face only moments ago, now a frown. As she sat and pondered over Jane's sudden departure, another thought dawned on her. Jane had a brother she had never mentioned him. As she put on her own jacket, she silently wondered what else she had never mentioned to Maura. Was it Jane's forgetfulness or was she hiding something?

**oOo**

About two weeks after Garrett's murder, the police still had no leads. Maura had noticed a shift in Jane's behaviour. She'd become distant in the last few weeks. Maura knew something was going on with her friend and wished Jane knew she could trust her and confide in her, but decided to wait for Jane to come to her.

The brunette in question sat in her bedroom trying to figure out why she still felt guilty for lying to Maura. She had tried to distance herself a bit, which was rather difficult while trying to make sure Maura was safe. She thought of her honey-blonde friend fondly and Jane wondered for a moment what she would do when this job was done. What would happen between them; could they still be friends? A friendship based on lies, that is. Maybe not then. Jane wished they had not met this way, then she would have had a chance. Maybe one day she would come clean and tell Maura everything, but not today.

Jane received a text from Maura confirming that the car engine rumbling outside was indeed her Prius. The Isles apparently didn't believe in unnecessary honking, which was just as well because Angela was still sleeping off a massive hangover. Jane grabbed her bag before rushing out of her house. She'd been invited out for a movie tonight and she had accepted, of course.

"So, what movie are we going to see?" Jane asked as she got in the car before glancing at Maura's attire. She was a little dressed up for a movie with a designer black dress and her usual heels, while Jane sat there in a pair of black skinny jeans, an old red socks t-shirt with a dark blue hoodie and her favourite pair of chucks. Silence engulfed them as the taller girl observed Maura worrying her lip between her teeth, keeping her hazel eyes to the road ahead of her.

"Well, I figured you would enjoy going to see the new MARVEL film, but it doesn't start until 9:30 so I thought that we could grab something to eat before the movie…?"

Jane nodded, glancing at the time. It was a little after seven o'clock. "Which one of your favourite fancy restaurants are we going to then?" Jane asked wearily.

"I know you don't like French cuisine, so don't worry, luckily for you I happen to love Italian." Maura gave a knowing smile before shaking her thoughts away, chastising herself. She knew that she had more than _friendly_ feelings towards Jane at this point, but had no idea what would happen if she acted on them, and Maura wasn't keen on ruining the only good relationship she had in her life right now.

They were seated almost immediately once they arrived at the restaurant. Jane felt even more under-dressed as she had a look around but Maura did not seem to mind one bit. They picked up the menus and Maura was trying to decide what she was going to eat when Jane spoke up.

"Uh... Maura? These aren't in English," Jane admitted, feeling awkward.

"Of course not, they're in Italian," Maura stated, oblivious to Jane's struggle.

"Yeah, I know… What I don't know is how to read Italian," she replied.

"Oh…"

"Yeah. So d'you mind ordering for me? Whatever you pick's fine as long as takes up more than a third of the plate."

"Right, of course. Let me see ..." Maura scanned the menu for a few more minutes and then the waiter came to take their order. "Ciao, io accomodo abbia gnocchi e pasta di frutti di mare, per favore."

"Chiaramente qualsiasi cosa altro?" The waiter replied and smiled at both of them.

"Nessuno grazie," Maura replied before the waiter left to take care of orders.

Maura turned back to Jane who was staring in wonderment, _Of course Maura could speak perfect Italian and make it look effortless and very hot all at once. _Jane thought as she stared openly at her friend, she snapped out of her thoughts and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Where did you learn to speak like that?" Jane was so intrigued.

"I used to spend my summers in Italy; my mother had an art studio there. I picked up the language very quickly."

"You should teach me some time."

Instead of asking why her parents never taught her, Maura smiled. "Of course."

They chatted until their food arrived, and then ate with little bits of conversation flowing through the bites of food. It was quite pleasant. The word 'date' came to both their minds, but they both ignored the thought.

When they were just about finished eating, Jane's phone started to ring. She excused herself and went outside to take Paddy Doyle's call.

"Hello?" Jane answered, rather annoyed.

"Jane, Maura is in trouble…" Doyle's rough voice rang through Jane's ears like a gunshot to the chest.

"What? Right now?" she asked as she peered into the window of the restaurant looking for Maura. She caught a glimpse of the blonde hair. Maura was still at the table.

"I don't know, but it's the Italian mob. They had a guy feed them information. They know she's my daughter. Keep your eyes open and keep her safe."

"I always do."

The line went dead and Jane took a steadying breath before she went back inside. Her mind was racing. She sat as calmly as possible, but Maura immediately noticed the panic in her eyes.

"Jane, are you alright?"

"Yeah. Do you think I can stay at your house tonight?" Jane asked, trying to find a way to stay with Maura for as long as possible.

"Yes, of course. Is your brother okay?" Jane had never really told her anything about her family but the way Jane's eyes showed intense fear and panic worried Maura. It had to be serious.

"We should get going if you want to catch that movie," Jane said abruptly changing the topic. Suddenly she didn't feel like being in such a public area, privately owned by the Italian mob.

"Right, I'll just pay the bill then." Maura signalled to the waiter that she would like to pay, he came over with the bill and Maura left a generous tip before Jane practically pulled her out of the restaurant.

Once back in Maura's car, Jane relaxed and Maura stared at her with confusion written all over her face.

"Who was on the phone when we were in the restaurant?"

"It was no one important," Jane said through gritted teeth. Jane wanted to tell Maura everything, but Maura would never trust her again. But it really was eating her up inside, so she compromised. "You wanna know about my life and my family? I'll tell you. Ma's a drunk, Pop's a cheater, and my youngest brother Tommy is in juvie. Then there's Frankie my other brother who's the only one of us with a future and I need to get him out of that house. Out of that neighbourhood…" Suddenly, Maura's hand was on Jane's and she shifted away from the touch, not wanting anyone's pity. "Look Maura... I just want to make sure you're safe, okay? So please, if you keep your questions to a minimum, it would make this much easier."

"Safe? Jane, I'm not in danger." Maura was more confused than before. Clearly there was something Jane was keeping from her and it was also hurting their friendship. "If there is something going on, please tell me because you're not making any sense right now." Maura practically begged Jane but she didn't divulge a single thing. Instead she just switched topics completely.

"Are we still going to the movies?" Jane asked glancing at the time, she was actually looking forward to their movie night until Doyle had called. Doyle never called, unless it was important.

"No, I don't really feel like going to the cinema anymore…" Maura sighed giving up on her dissection of the hidden meaning behind Jane's words and her need for secrecy.

**oOo**

Maura pulled into her driveway and cut the engine. Jane waited for her by the front door.

"Is your mother home?" Jane asked as they walked into the dark and quiet house.

Maura flicked some lights on. "No, she's out of the country on business."

"Oh. How long has she been out of the country?"

"She left the day after they found Garret. Why?" Maura wondered glancing at Jane her brow was furrowed and she looked to be thinking very hard, then as if a light had switched on her face relaxed.

"You really shouldn't be alone here for so long," Jane lightly chastised Maura, before promptly announcing that she needed to use the washroom.

Maura waited until she heard the door click closed and walked quietly to put her ear against it. She knew eavesdropping was wrong but it was the only way she could think of to figure out what was wrong with her best friend. She could only hear Jane's side of the conversation, but it was enough.

"Yeah, it's me... Yes, but… I think I should tell her… Everything… She deserves to know!... I know it was you, Doyle ...That's not why I told you. I just thought-... Yes, she's safe... She's with me right now…Gone...Okay bye." Jane hung up and she let out a heavy sigh. She turned the tap on and off and then went out into the living room where she had left Maura.

The honey-blonde was on the couch staring down at her hands, trying to make sense of the things she had heard. So many questions ran through her mind filling her head with doubt. Who was this Doyle character? How did Jane know them? Did Maura really know Jane?

"Maur? You alright?" Jane asked softly, worry etched in her face.

Maura lifted her head to look at Jane, her eyes full of mistrust and confusion.

"What is it?" Jane took a step closer and Maura visibly flinched at the movement.

"Who is Doyle?" Maura asked in a steady. She observed Jane's reaction carefully. Her expression went from surprised to confused and settled on acceptance that there were no more secrets. Maura knew there was no more lying.

Jane had a seat beside her friend, steeling herself for the blonde's reaction to the new information she was about to receive. "Patrick Doyle is the head of the Irish mob. He asked me to keep an eye on you. He's _paying_ me to protect you. I was supposed to call him if you were in trouble and when you told me about Garrett, I had to tell him. I'm so sorry, Maura. And now the Italian mob knows about you and they won't hesitate to use you as bait to draw Doyle out."

"What? Why? Why me?"

"At first I just figured you were a target he wanted to keep tabs on, but I eventually put the pieces together and I found out the truth. Patrick Doyle is your father."

Maura immediately got up. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. She felt betrayed by Jane and anger towards this man she did not even know.

Jane knew this would happen. She watched Maura process the information and then wordlessly walk away from her.

Jane wished that her feelings for Maura were platonic, because then it may have made this whole situation less painful.

Maura needed time to process all of this. Her shaky legs took her to her room where she sat on her bed as slowly it dawned on her. Her biological father was a murderer. He had paid a seventeen year old girl to be her bodyguard, and killed the boy who raped her. Maura felt sick. How could she be related to someone who seemed so evil? And how could she be so naive as to believe that Jane genuinely liked her and enjoyed spending time with her? That realization hurt the most.

She wiped her tears away and pulled out her laptop. Maura had questions, and she desperately needed answers. She learned a lot about her family, herself, and even Jane, that night.

**oOo**

Italian translation: (please keep in mind I do not speak Italian)

"Hi, may I please have gnocchi and seafood pasta, please."

"Of course anything else?'

"No thank you"

**A/N **

**thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! **

**please let me know what you think. **

**Leave a review/ comment / criticism / or you can P.M. me any**** time.**

**thanks again :)**

**-JP**


	5. Chapter 5

**** I would like to thank my beta Ink-About-It, for helping me out.****

**** I own nothing, ******** now on with this chapter.****

** Chapter 5**

Maura woke up exactly where she fell asleep the night before after burning the midnight oil online trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle that is her life. And what did she learn? Well, her desk is not a very comfortable place to sleep after all. She also found out that her biological father is currently the main suspect in connection to at least fourteen different homicide investigations. This year alone. She still couldn't believe she could possibly be related to that.

Unbeknownst to the girl, Jane was right downstairs where she spent the night on Maura's couch, making sure that the honey-blonde was safe and sound while also affording her the time and space she needed to process all the new information the brunette had dumped on her last night. She certainly hoped Maura would wake up realizing that Jane was just trying to protect her, but she would also understand if she was still upset. But first thing's first. Once Jane had stretched her legs, she made her way into the kitchen in search of one absolutely vital thing – coffee.

She was startled when, instead, she found a man. He came in through the door as she was pouring herself a cup. After a tense moment, she remembered Maura's brief mention of a butler living with them. Her shoulders slightly relaxed as the man gave her a friendly smile, which she half-returned before sipping her coffee and letting out a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until a quarter past ten that Maura finally dragged herself out of bed, downstairs and into the kitchen with half-lidded hazel eyes, in a pair of sweatpants and an old baggy t-shirt. She didn't even glance at Jane, who was sitting at the table enjoying her second cup of coffee, but she could feel Jane's eyes following her around the room. Avoiding the brunette's intense gaze, she looked out the window after pouring her own cup of coffee. She could still feel those chocolate brown eyes, as if burning a hole through her skin.

"Why are you still here?" Maura asked. It came out rather harshly, and had she not been facing away from her, she would have seen Jane flinch at her words.

Looking down into her half-empty cup, Jane cleared her throat for a soft reply. "Because I wanted to make sure you were safe." The hurt was evident in her voice and that all somehow made Maura angry.

"I'm seventeen; I don't need a babysitter," she spat back over her shoulder.

"You're right. Cause a babysitter won't be worth shit against the people trying to kill you."

"And how exactly are you supposed to protect me from the mob?"

"I guess having a gun and knowing how to knock a 300 pound man on his ass is a good place to start," Jane said sounding a little cocky. She glanced up at Maura who was staring at her now with her mouth open in surprise.

"You… you have a gun?"

Jane almost looked embarrassed but she felt justified nonetheless. "Have you seen where I live? I'm sure even _you'd_ be packing if you lived in my neighbourhood."

There was a lingering silence between them while Maura gathered her thoughts. Jane was sure their conversation was done after some time, so she decided she'd give Maura her space. She paused mid-movement as she got up when her charge finally spoke.

"When I was younger… I used to fantasize about my real parents coming back for me one day, hugging me tightly and wrapping me up in a warm and loving embrace. I even tried to look into the adoption records, but all I got were sealed documents and dead ends." Shaking her head, Maura sniffled as she took a shaky breath, trying to hold herself together as she continued on. "And now I wish I didn't know at all… My fa- He's a career criminal; a murderer. I don't understand how he can be my father... I barely got any sleep last night. I was too busy wondering which was worse: that my biological father is a mobster or that my only friend lied to me about it."

As Jane watched her friend struggle to hold back the tears of her brimming hazel eyes, she felt her heart constrict in her chest and a pang of guilt which quietly reminded the brunette that she should not have gotten attached to Maura at all. Jane sighed as Maura wiped the tears from her eyes, wishing she could be the one to wipe them away. Jane knew she was so far gone as she took in the sight in front of her. The blonde looked beautiful even in her dishevelled state and Jane couldn't help but let the small smile that graced her lips turn into a grin.

Jane caught Maura's eyes as she stared at the blonde and she knew she was busted. The blonde saw a look she had never seen in Jane's eyes before, but could not figure out what it meant, then she watched as the brunette tried to hide her grin.

"What is so funny?" Maura asked exasperated.

"Nothing," Jane was quick to say, going over to the sink to drop off her coffee mug. "It's just that… you're beautiful even when you cry." Jane's voice was soft and her eyes were full of adoration.

"You- you really think I am beautiful?" Maura asked, ducking her head to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"Of course, Maur. You are one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever laid eyes on," Jane confessed and Maura gaped at her friend for a moment before wrapping her arms around Jane's waist and hugging her tightly.

"Thank you" Maura breathed into the brunette's shoulder.

"Listen, I am truly sorry about dropping the whole Paddy Doyle thing on you like that. I just didn't want to lie to you anymore. It physically pains me to watch you hurt like this, knowing that I could have told you the moment I found out and it would have changed this whole screwed up situation. Part of me thought you would hate me and never trust me again and I really didn't want that to happen, but the other part of me figured you would think I was lying and not believe me." Jane placed both hands on Maura's shoulders pulling her from the embrace. Then her phone rang, interrupting what she was about to say next.

Maura pulled away. She knew who it was and took a seat at the table as the brunette answered the call.

"Doyle," Jane said knowing it was him.

"How is she?" he asked urgently.

"She is unharmed, but she knows about your… connection."

"And does she know she's in danger?" Doyle asked.

"Yes," she answered back.

Maura was listening to the conversation from her seat. She had many questions that she wanted to ask him. Holding out her hand, she asked Jane if she could talk to him. Jane handed Maura the phone.

"Hello?" Maura spoke into the phone cautiously.

Doyle was surprised. "Maura... Is that you?"

"Yes. I would like to meet you, because I believe there are a few things we need to discuss." Maura kept her voice devoid of emotion, but Jane could tell she was nervous as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Of course. I imagine there are many questions you have for me. But this really isn't a good time with the Italians looking for you. I will try to take care of them as soon as I can, but it's proving rather difficult. Stay with Jane; she will keep you safe, for now."

"No," Maura said firmly, Jane looked up at her surprise written on her face.

"No?" Doyle asked sounding rather confused, he was not used to people telling him no.

"No, I will not wait until this is all over because if something happens to you or me, I would like to have at least met you once."

"Okay, that is a good point. I will have Jane bring you to me. See you soon, Maura." He hung up. Maura stood there for a moment not moving a muscle, then she felt Jane's arms envelope her with a hug which filled both of them with warmth and comfort.

"You okay, Maur?"

Maura relaxed into the hug and nodded.

They were still in their pyjamas and Maura went up to her room, telling the brunette she needed to shower and change.

Jane's phone buzzed with a text message from Doyle reading, _'Meet me at the Dirty Robber at noon.'_

She knew the place. It was a bar in Jane's neighbourhood and she had only been there once before to fetch her drunk ma who was passed out in a booth. This time it would be different, she knew it would be.

Something had tugged at Jane's conscience the moment the pair had stepped foot in the establishment. As Jane glanced around the room at the unsavoury characters in the pub, she silently thanked god that she had thought to bring her gun. They took a booth in a quiet corner. Jane faced the door so she could watch for Paddy, but the brunette found it odd that he had not shown up yet. He was already about fifteen minutes late and Maura was nervously biting her lip

"Maybe we should just go?" Maura started, disappointment heavy in her voice. When Jane didn't reply she glanced up at her. There were two different emotions in those dark chocolate eyes. The first was realization and the second was fear. Jane met Maura's eyes and she whispered across the table.

"Slowly crawl under the table and stay as quiet as possible." Maura nodded and did as told, then she heard the door bang against the wall as it opened. The brunette's shaking hands clutched her gun under the table. Maura could make out the soft but distinct words in a language she knew all too well. The Italians were here. Their conversation drifted through the room and Maura started to shake with fear.

"Doyle is in the car, where is his daughter?" asked one man who sounded frustrated.

"The text we sent said 'The Dirty Robber at noon'. She might be late. Let's wait outside," the other man said.

Jane watched as they turned to the door, then she stood and fired off two shots. They hit their targets with fatal blows. Jane grabbed Maura and took off into the back alley. Once she had stopped Maura spoke, "They have him Jane, I heard them talking!"

"It's not safe. There could be more of them; just sit tight I will be back in a minute," then Jane ran off.

As Jane looked around the street for anything suspicious, she saw an expensive black car with black tinted windows. It was their car she knew it. As she walked by a thumping noise reached her ears. Peering through the dark glass she could not see anyone inside, but she reached into her pocket and grabbed the lock picking tool. The brunette had the door open in less than thirty seconds and popped the trunk. There was Paddy bound and gagged with a bruise starting to form around his left eye. Jane untied him and helped him out of the car.

"Where's Maura?" he asked glancing around.

"What, no thanks for saving my ass?" Jane said sarcastically as she made a gesture for him to follow.

Maura was starting to get worried by the time she saw the wild dark curls of her friend. It wasn't until she was closer did she realize Paddy was only a few steps behind.

**A/N:**

**Hey there, sorry for the slow update school has gotten in the way. **

**but I will try and get this next chapter finished soon,**

**as always thanks for reading!**

**and i really do love the reviews**

**so please let me know what you think. **

** - JP**


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